bonny

Or bon·nie

[bon-ee]

adjective

bonnier, bonniest 

1. Chiefly Scot.,  pleasing to the eye; handsome; pretty.

2. British Dialect.

   1. (of people) healthy, sweet, and lively.

   2. (of places) placid; tranquil.

   3. pleasing; agreeable; good.

adverb

1. British Dialect.,  pleasingly; agreeably; very well.

noun

1. Scot. and North England Archaic.,  a pretty girl or young woman.

bonny

¹

/ ˈbɒnɪ /

adjective

1. dialect,  beautiful or handsome

   a bonny lass

2. merry or lively

   a bonny family

3. good or fine

   a bonny house

4. (esp of babies) plump

5. dialect,  considerable; to be reckoned with

   cost a bonny penny

adverb

1. informal,  agreeably or well

   to speak bonny

Bonny

²

/ ˈbɒnɪ /

noun

1. Former name (until 1975): Bight of Biafra. a wide bay at the E end of the Gulf of Guinea off the coasts of Nigeria and Cameroon

Other Word Forms

• bonnily adverb
• bonniness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bonny¹

1425–75; late Middle English ( Scots ) bonie, perhaps < Old French bon good + -ie -y ¹, perhaps by analogy with jolie jolly

Word History and Origins

Origin of bonny¹

C15: of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old French bon good, from Latin bonus

Example Sentences

They added: "A sad loss at such a young age. RIP Dale. Sleep well bonny lad."

From BBC

I would show that con man Donny a bravery so bonny, no longer would I serve!

From Washington Post

“Not a bit, and you never will. You’ve grown bigger and bonnier, but you are the same scapegrace as ever.”

From Literature

“Not at all—it bears the most gracious message in the world: for the rest, you are not my conscience-keeper, so don’t make yourself uneasy. Here, come in, bonny wanderer!”

From Literature

On behalf of his family, his uncle Ken Mullen said he had been a “bonny lad” who “always had a smile and cheeky grin when talking to you and was a great source of one-liners”.

From BBC